Editorial
politics, Debatable
STAFF Editor: Margaret O'Brien Steinfels Executive Editor: Paul Baumann Managing Editor: Patrick Jordan Associate Editor: Daria Donnelly Production Editor: Tiina Aleman Senior...
...proposals on the very shaky assumption that enormous budget surpluses are to be p. 8, Ray, Rothco...
...Gore, in turn, rejects privatization, arguing that government must Commonweal Foundation...
...Bush's evasive pragmatic grounds: a surgical abortion requires one trip to answers about abortion understandably alarmed his pro- the doctor as opposed to three...
...foreign, $87...
...Bush thinks the setting will favor his So...
...foreign, $50...
...sexual politics-than we have heard thus far...
...ing an opportunity to maximize his advantage, Gore, like European statistics support this ambivalent reaction: In Clinton before him, disingenuously touted his own opposi- Sweden and in France, where RU-486 has been used for a tion to the procedure, saying he would sign a bill banning decade, fewer then one-quarter of abortion-seeking women partial-birth abortion provided it made exceptions for the ask for the drug...
...Yearly subscriptions, U.S., $44...
...An economic slowdown will quickly make this entire debate moot, and p. 20, Engleman, Rothco...
...Copyright © 2000 Medicare...
...Special two-year Gore says, should be used to shore up the Social Security fund and expand rate: U.S...
...Bush emphasizes the traditional Republican deROM and in electronic data bases...
...other parts of the world, $99...
...Each candidate was carefully scripted, with both men deterQuanda Williams mined to avoid launching the sort of personal attack that undecided voters appear Advertising Manager: Ruth E. Taylor to find objectionable...
...Com- question facing the nation-at least it is the most pressing question the candimonweal articles are also available at many libraries and research facilities on CD- dates think is facing the nation...
...Then, see- done...
...In Britain, 93 percent of women who have life or health of the mother...
...But if he is willing to If Gloria Feldt's sloganeering glosses over some of these ban partial-birth abortion under certain circumstances, he difficult realities, The National Right to Life Committee's cannot logically support "a woman's right to choose" in all attack on RU-486 as unsafe for women is equally unconcases...
...again...
...p. 24, Neal that possibility lends an air of unreality to the candidates' promises...
...p. 18, Matt, Rothco...
...counted on...
...Voters looking for a level of comfort with of the women did express puzzlement at the use of the word Gore's personality still need to be wooed...
...In none of these jection to one form of abortion does raise an interesting ques- countries has the advent of the drug increased the overall tion, however...
...How to allocate the next ten years' projected budget surpluses is the Bell & Howell, Wooster, OH 44691...
...ed States would be willing to provide RU-486 abortions than perform surgical abortion, a Pittsburgh doctor training his colleagues in the use of the drug, reports that initial interest drops rapidly when doctors learn of FDA requirements HARD PILL TO SWALLOW about its use: the number of patient visits along with state rules about abortion registration, fetal tissue disposal, and During last month's media fanfare surrounding FDA ap- even the technical design of doctors' offices...
...and it is over in a few hours...
...The format for this exchange of views will be more informal, with greater opDisplay advertising correspondence should be sent to Ruth E. Taylor, 11 Graffam Rd., portunity to question each other directly...
...Canada, $81...
...woman's right to choose in late-term abortions...
...Cheney and Lieberman seemed effortless where Christmas/New Year's...
...Some preferred the RU-486-induced aborwinded and pedantic...
...Preston...
...One stories he told...
...Each man charges the other with playing fast and Illustrations: Cover design & art: loose with the numbers...
...seems incredibly unnatural...
...Anecdotal and statistical evidence suggests that, as in EuAn answer to a question like that might make the final rope, surgical abortion will remain the prevalent choice...
...smaller television audience and have less of an impact on the race...
...STAFF Editor: Margaret O'Brien Steinfels Executive Editor: Paul Baumann Managing Editor: Patrick Jordan Associate Editor: Daria Donnelly Production Editor: Tiina Aleman Senior Writer: Robert G. Hoyt Editorial Assistant: Grant Gallicho Copy Editor: Susanne Washburn Business Manager: Paul Q. Kane Poetry: Rosemary Deen Debatable politics Screen: Rand Richards Cooper Stage/Media: Celia Wren Columnists: Sidney Callahan, he first of the three presidential debates (October 3) between Vice E.J...
...to do so at earlier and earlier dates...
...p. 3, ©ALT Films/Bob Greene...
...weeks of this election campaign worthy of the public's While it was initially expected that more doctors in the Unitattention...
...However, thanks to the lackchanges to Commonweal, 475 Riverside luster first encounter, the second debate (October 11) is likely to draw an even Dr., Room 405, New York, NY 10115...
...p. 19, Valerry...
...dollars by International or both...
...and monthly July Gore and Bush were most mannered, and the calm and deliberative way in which and August, by Commonweal Foundation, 475 Riverside Drive, Rm...
...But his dilemma is clear enough: the Re- For some, there was a clear cognitive difference between publican Party's antichoice stance is an obstacle to attracting the two methods, "you really confront what you are doing undecided (mostly) women voters...
...current issues available through Universi- Still, the first face-to-face meeting between Gore and Bush did illuminate basic ty Microfilm, 300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 and on Microfiche from differences...
...Or Will RU-486 change the American abortion landscape...
...Telephone: (212) 662-4200...
...Shouldn't all abortion decisions be a woman's alone...
...bank...
...That is baffling to me...
...Portland, ME 04106 (207) 799-4387, more relaxed and likable personality...
...405, New York, the two older men laid out their differences made Gore and Bush look like notNY 10115...
...Dionne Jr., John Garvey, Jo McGowan, William Pfaff President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush was as lackCirculation Manager: Sandra Smith ing in drama and clarifying disagreement as it was in humor...
...Microfilm from Vol...
...No earlier ones...
...With the surgical method, you lie there and it's explicitly condemned only partial-birth abortion...
...columnist spread speculation...
...More important, however, is the fact that both candidates base their Rothco...
...They certainly need support in tially there is intense cramping, and then nine-to-sixteen gaining a stronger sense of control, before they get pregdays of bleeding...
...Still, his command http://www.commonwealmagazine.org of the issues was hardly masterly, and he was unsure of himself in discussing Commonweal 5 October 20, 2000 foreign policy and, surprisingly, on the Supreme Court and Among women who had a prior surgical abortion, reabortion...
...If you out of his way to indicate that he was not an extremist who have any doubts about having an abortion, I think it would would make overturning Roe v. Wade a high priority, and be difficult...
...p. 26, Ross, Rothco...
...Consequently, Bush went [with RU-486...
...As we go to press, the presidential candidates are about to debate a second Toll-free: 888-495-6755...
...3,16,22, Baloo, more suspect...
...time...
...Gore was surefooted, but came across as long- ports were mixed...
...Single Copy, $2.50...
...supports "a woman's right to choose...
...Fax: (212) 662-4183...
...E-mail: commonweal@msn.com...
...Gore hopes Bush's frail grasp of policy declassified advertising correspondence to 475 Riverside Dr...
...But makes any prospective ban meaningless...
...To me it Both candidates fudge on difficult issues...
...Such abortions may or may not be more difficult healthy woman's right to choose partial-birth abortion...
...natural, however: "Natural...
...ready-for-prime-time players...
...POSTMASTER: send address tails will become evident during cross-examination...
...Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., turn money ($1.3 trillion) to taxpayers and to partially privatize Social Security and and at additional offices...
...The artificiality of the situation was highlighted by the OcCommonweal, [ISSN 0010-3330] A Review tober 5 vice-presidential debate between Senator Joseph Lieberman and former Secof Public Affairs, Religion, Literature, and the Arts, is published biweekly except retary of Defense Dick Cheney...
...iest 1 percent of taxpayers...
...Although some Commonweal is indexed in Reader's Guide event or statement can still change the dynamic of the election, it is likely that to Periodical Literature, Catholic Periodical Index, Index of American Periodical each man will continue to guard against making mistakes instead of taking risks Verse, Book Review Digest, and Book Review Index...
...1, 1924, to to win over voters...
...The health exception, of course, had a medical abortion say they would do so again...
...life supporters...
...In short, Administrative Assistant: a bore...
...U.S.: Western Hemisphere, $84...
...The consensus among experts is that Bush's math is the Christopher Young...
...In fact, some were distressed by the experience: ini- And abortion seekers...
...Gore endlessly boasts that unlike Bush, he number of abortions...
...All Canadian and foreign subscriptions must tablish expensive new programs, and result either in large deficits or higher taxes be paid in U.S...
...10, 12,14, Charlot...
...Take abortion...
...Gore's stated ob- only 6 percent actually choose RU-486...
...for women, but they certainly appear to be safe...
...proval of the abortion pill, RU-486, Planned Parenthood What has changed, since the RU-486 clinical trials began, president Gloria Feldt reported that women in the clinical tri- is that abortion clinics, as a result of new techniques, have als said such medical abortions felt more natural than sur- been providing vacuum abortions earlier than seven weeks...
...could it be that there is something at stake other than a That is hard to predict...
...Does States that later abortions are more morally repellent than it accurately reflect what women said in clinical trials...
...Europe, Similarly, Bush contends that Gore's proposals will enlarge government, es$89...
...Serials mand for less government and lower taxes, arguing that now is the time to reData program No.: ISSN 0010-3330...
...It was a little overwhelming to see...
...Bush's relative composure and articulateness may have laid portraits, Elaine Mills...
...above all, women were shocked at seeing nant...
...gical ones: These women "feel more in charge, more in Could it be that RU-486 has and will continue to bring prescontrol of their personal health," Feldt says (New York Times, sure on those who provide and those who seek abortions September 29...
...Web: http://www.commonwealmagazine.org...
...Someone should ask Gore why he doesn't support a vincing...
...In many swing states abortion is a crucial, if muted, factor, Some of those who preferred surgical abortion did so on especially among undecided women voters...
...Annual rates for air-mail delivery outside Medicare coverage...
...The money Bush would devote to tax cuts, Canada, $47...
...p. 28, Re- How voters respond to the overall demeanor of each man is the subject of wideligious News Service Photo...
...Gore insists that Bush's tax cut disproportionately favors only the wealthMoney Order or by check on a U.S...
...Commonweal 6 October 20, 2000...
...That would bring aborDoes this bit of rhetoric show any interest in addressing tion providers in line with the majority view in the United the issues of control that bring women to abortion...
...to rest some concerns about whether or not he is "up to the job...
...guarantee these entitlement programs...
...He has also been accused of mugging tion because it felt less invasive than the surgical one: there for the cameras and stretching the truth in the anecdotal were no instruments or noise from the suction machine...
...How to achieve that requires a fuller and more honest the sac, the placenta, and, in more developed pregnancies public conversation-about personal responsibility, birth (the approved RU-486 cut-off limit is seven weeks), hints of control, the long-term effects of abortion, family policy, and human form...
Vol. 127 • October 2000 • No. 18
